Today in History for 13th August 2024

[CoM Moderators]

Historical Events

1908 - King Edward VII of Great Britain meets with Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria at Ischl; the King tries to persuade the Emperor to advise Germany against aggressive (anti-British) policies
1944 - British 8th Army occupies Florence
1987 - Jackie Joyner-Kersee ties world record with 24'5½" jump
1992 - Revival of Tom Stoppard's play "The Real Inspector Hound" opens at Criterion Center Stage Right, New York, NYC; runs for 61 performances
2015 - 76 people are killed and 212 are wounded by an ISIL truck bomb in Baghdad, Iraq
2020 - Israel strikes historic deal with the United Arab Emirates to normalize relations, Israel suspends plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank

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Famous Birthdays

1898 - Jean Borotra, French tennis player (Wimbledon 1924, 26), born in Biarritz, France (d. 1994)
1902 - Felix Wankel, German inventor (Wankel rotary-piston engine), born in Lahr, Germany (d. 1988)
1912 - Rita Johnson, American actress (Honolulu, All Mine to Give), born in Worcester, Massachusetts (d. 1965)
1949 - Sheralee, American vocalist (Your Hit Parade, 1974-75), born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
1971 - Vernell Brown Jr., American jazz and RandB pianist, composer, arranger (Kenny Garrett Quintet), born in Las Angeles, California
1982 - Sarah Huckabee Sanders, American political operative and politician (Trump White House Press Secretary 2017-19, 1st Female Governor of Arkansas 2023-), born in Hope, Arkansas

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Famous Deaths

1860 - Danillo II, ruler of Montenegro, dies
1918 - Luther Gulick, American Basketball Hall of Fame contributor (basketball pioneer; international official), dies at 53
1948 - Edwin Maxwell, Irish actor (Taming of the Shrew), dies at 62
1958 - Otto Witte, acrobat and, purportedly, King of Albania (b. 1868)
1959 - Henri Garat [Garascu], French actor (Congress Dances), and singer ("Les dieux s'amusent"), dies at 57
2008 - Jack Weil, American oldest working CEO (Rockmount Ranch Wear), dies at 107

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